


That's A Big Cat

by ZombieRainbowRose



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:47:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieRainbowRose/pseuds/ZombieRainbowRose
Summary: How the stop in South Africa could've gone very wrong.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1
Collections: 1000 Ways to Kill Nick Carter





	That's A Big Cat

** That’s A Big Cat **

Nick was tired. 

All he really wanted to do was sleep, but that wasn’t possible. No, instead, they had signed on to do this 100 hour tour around the world to promote their latest album, _Black and Blue_. Now, granted, the plane they were using for this was amazing. He _loved_ it. It was like, how had AJ put it? A mansion that flew. But the day had been bad that entire day. Had it even been a day yet? Time was beyond a blur now with all the time zones they’d been through. But he knew when this day got bad; it was all because he stepped on the plane with his _left_ foot instead of his right one after their mini-stop over in Perth, Australia. He screwed up and now his mistake was haunting him, cursing him for the day. 

And then there were the cameras. They were filming not only for a DVD, but footage for MTV Diary and only God knew how many other specials. So now only was he exhausted, cranky, and cursed, it was all being caught on camera. They were landing in South Africa next. Or, as Kevin would put it, _South Africa, you dildo!_

Nick would never admit it, but he’d thought they were going to South America next too.

He tried not to drift off as they flew over Table Mountain, but he couldn’t help it. He’d have Kevin give him the cliff notes about how breathtaking it was later for when they went back and did their little narrations for the DVD back in the States. If they ended up talking about it on it anyway, which he bet they would, since already he could hear Kevin going on and on about it. It became a distant hum in his mind as his eyes drifted shut.

“NICK! Wake up, we landed.”

His eyes shot back open. It felt like he got no rest at all. A feeling that was probably a fact. 

And they were all sick. It always happened like this. He blamed AJ. 

_That asshole._

They each split off to go into go into their after getting off the plane. He snickered as he saw AJ get stuck with the van while the rest of them each had a personal BMW to ride along in. He knew he was supposed to use this time to talk to the cameras. But it was the first moment this entire trip he was really free from Kevin. So he used the time, to take a catnap before the press conference. He needed to rest up anyway. It was their first time there in South Africa, so he figured there’d be fans waiting outside for them. And they wouldn’t leave without stopping over and talking to them. 

His eyes shut again. 

“Nick, wake up!” 

This time, it was Brian. When Nick’s car had arrived at the building, he had opened the door, having a feeling his best friend had fallen asleep on the ride there. How did Brian know this? Because he’d done the same thing, during the time away from Kevin. Nick shifted, not really wanting to move.

SMACK!

“Ow!” Nick’s eyes shot open. “Damn Brian…” He rubbed the back of his head and climbed out of the car. After signing some autographs with the fans who were there waiting, they headed inside. 

The interview was standard for any press conference. Their reasons for doing this, how excited they were, and to be honest, Nick tuned it out. He knew his role. He’d played it for years. He was the “pretty one” who would stay quiet and not talk much, unless to say something funny. It was a role forced on him, one he didn’t like. But at times like this, it came in handy. He’d been spacing out his surroundings yet again, when some words caught his attention. 

“This is Niana, the cheetah…”

His head shot up, completely alert. _Cheetah?_

“And uh…he’s come to say hello.”

On an ordinary table lower down in front of the one set up for the five of them to answer questions from during the press conference, a handler came forward. He had a leash that connected to a very large, and very real, full grown cheetah that hopped upon the table with ease. Nick’s eyes widened. 

_Holy shit!_

“Can we come down there and pet him? Or is it too dangerous?” He could hear Kevin asking. Nick wasn’t sure if that was the best idea. But now that Kevin had asked, he wasn’t going to not come down if it was okay to do so. He didn’t want to look like a pansy or anything. AJ and Howie would never let him hear the end of it. 

“Well if you want to, that’s fine, I’m just gonna keep a safe distance.” An interviewer joked as the five men all came out from around their table to get a closer look at the fierce animal in front of them. 

“Don’t make any sudden movements.” The handler warned them as they approached.

“This is not a circus animal; these animals are the most endangered cats on the continent…”

Nick’s heart softened. He always had a weak spot for animals and trying to preserve them and their habitats. While his thing had always been the ocean, that feeling applied to all animals. He came up slowly, petting the creature as gently as he possibly could. The cheetah seemed a bit on edge and even he couldn’t blame it, with all the press and cameras, not to mention fans surrounding it. 

The camera, one of theirs, he wasn’t sure if it was for MTV or the DVD however, came closer. Out of instinct, Nick whirled around, always up for hamming it up for the cameras. He leaned in close to the lens, not noticing the animal tensing up even more behind him. 

“That’s a big cat.”

As if it could understand, the cheetah growled menacingly. Nick turned back towards it quickly. It was a move he would soon regret. The ferocious animal lunged towards him, yanking the leash that restrained him out of the keeper’s hands. It pounced on Nick, ripping into his throat without mercy. He knew for an instant unbelievable and incredible pain. There were screams, shouts, though he had no idea if they were his own or not. Nick didn’t live long enough to find out. 

By the time they were able to get the large cat away from his body, he was no longer recognizable. His face was a bloody smear of half eaten flesh, his body was stained red, deep slashes could be seen in his chest, and his clothes were shredded. His stomach had been ripped open, exposing his internal organs. It was an image no one would soon forget.

His final words would live on in his band mates heads. Forever haunting them.

_“That’s a big cat.”_


End file.
